Catch basin excavating machine



1955 o. s. M BRIDE ETAL 3,199,656

CATCH BASIN EXCAVATING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1962INVENTOR. Oscar 5. M B/m e 6/07 1 Ru/vye @WW ATTORNE Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed March 21, 1962 nlllllllll Aug. 10, .1965

Q. s. M BRIDE ETAL CATCH BASIN EXCAVATING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledMarch 21, 1962 INVENTOR. 050/ 5. Wfl/Me y @Gm V Range ATTORNEY 1965 o.s. M BRIDE ETAL CATCH BASIN EXCAVATING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledMarch 21, 1962 IN V EN TOR.

6/40 V Runye ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,199,656 PatentedAug. 10, 1965 3,199,656 CAT IIH EAdIN EXCAVATING MACHiNE Oscar S.McBride, Isabella County, and Glen Vernor Range, Hudsonville, Mich; saidMcBride assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Twinwood, Ina, Mount Pleasant,

Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 190,514Claims. (Cl; 198-88) This invention relates to improvements in catchbasin excavating machine. The principal objects ofthis invention are:

First, to provide a mobile excavating machine which will remove debrisand sediment collected in catch basins and dry wells through a manholeand transfer the excavated material to a truck.

Second, to provide a mobile excavating machine which can be towed intoan appropriate position alongside a manhole and adjusted to project apower operated bucket into the manhole for excavating debris from thebottom of the manhole.

Third, to provide a mobile excavating device with a verticallyadjustable excavating bucket conveyor with a laterally swingable sectionon the end of the conveyor so that the buckets will function over arelatively wide area at the lower end of the conveyor.

Fourth, to provide a mobile excavating device with a verticallyadjustable bucket conveyor and off feeding belt conveyor which isadjustable under the discharge end of the bucket conveyor to receive wetdebris from the bucket conveyor with a minimum of splatter and furtherdeliver the debris to a receiving vehicle.

Fifth, to provide an excavating conveyor that is vertically andlaterally adjustable on a mobile carriage to permit the conveyor to belowered into a catch basin at varying distances from the side of thecarriage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following description and claims.

The drawings, of which there are four sheets, illustrate a highlypractical form of the excavating machine.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the excavating machineand its transporting carriage.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary rear end elevational view of the excavatingapparatus lowered into operative position in a catch basin shown incross section.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enarged end elevational view of the lower end ofthe excavating conveyor shown in FIG. 2.

FiG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view taken along theplane of the line 44 in FIGS. 1 and 2 and illustrating the carriageplatform and laterally adjusting mechanism of the machine.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary rear end elevational view of the upper dischargeend of the excavating conveyor shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal cross sectional view through thevertically adjustable support for the excavating conveyor taken alongthe plane of the line 66 in FIGS. 1 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through the pivotalconnection to the lower end of the excavating conveyor taken along theplane of the line 77 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical drive and controlcircuit of the machine.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the supportfor the off feed belt, the view being taken along the plane of the line9-9 oin FIG. 2.

Various collecting basins in drainage systems such as the catch basinsin storm sewer drains and dry wells and septic tanks of domesticsewerage systems require periodic cleaning out of debris and sludgewhich collects in the chain loops taut.

basins. As used herein the term catch basin is intended to describe anysubterranean chambers having a relatively small access Opening such asa' manhole at the top through whichaccess may behad to the basin. Theexcavating machine of the invention includes a wheeled carriage 1having'a platform 2 and towing tongue 3 by means of which the carriagemay be towed along the ground or roadway to a position alongside of acatch basin 4 having a manhole or other opening 5 at-its top. Theplatform 2 carries a rear horizontal guide rail 6 of channel shapedcross section and a relatively shorter front guide rail 7 of oppositelyfacing channel shaped cross section. The rails 6 and 7 laterallyslidably guide andsupport a first flat horizontal frame having a rearframe member 8 and shorter front frame member 9 slidably engaged in therails 6 and 7. An intermediate frame member 10 is connected to the frontframe member 9 byconverging side bars 11. The members 8 and 10 areconnected by a cross bar 12 and other structure to be described. Theplatform 2 has a rack' 13 secured to its upper surface which is engagedby the worm gear 14 carried on the crank shaft 15 mounted on the sidemem ber 11 of the frame. By means of this structure the horizontalsupporting frame can be projected laterally beyond the side of theplatform 2 or retracted to approximately. full overlapping supportedrelation-of the platform and horizontal frame. Desirably the platform 2has a notch cut therein as at 16 to receive the excavating conveyor tobe described in the retracted traveling-position of the excavatingmachine and carriage.

Secured to the outer ends of the transverse frame members 8 and 10 aretwo spaced opposed upright guide rails 17 and 18 of channel shaped crosssection connected at the top by a longitudinal cross beam 19. (See FIG.1.) The rails 17 and 18 form a vertical slideway for a verticallyreciprocable frame generally indicated at 20 and consisting of outwardlyopening slide rails 21 vertically slidably received in the guide rails17 and 18 and connected just below their upper ends by a cross bar 22.Adjacent their lower ends the slide rails 21 are connected by a crossshaft 23 and a second cross shaft 24 connects the slide rails at apointspaced below the top cross member 22. Extension arms or bars 25 areconnected to the lower cross shaft 23 at 26 to swing with the shaftlaterally of the slide rails 21. (See FIGS. 3 and 7.) When thevertically reciprocable frame 20' and the extension arms 25 are alignedthey can be drawn upwardly in the guide rails 17 and 18 as shown in FIG.1 to elevate the lower ends of the arms 25 above ground level. When thehorizontal frame members 8 and 10 are retracted on the platform 1 thevertical frame 20 is retracted laterally into the notch 16.

Adjacent to the cross shaft 24 the upright slide rails 21 are providedwith laterally inwardly or rearwardly inclined support arms 27 whichproject over'the platform 2. The arms 27 support an upright motorsupport frame 28 having inner uprights 29 and outer uprights 30'connected by top cross pieces 31. The cross pieces 31 support a motorsupport panel 32 carrying an electric motor 33 and reduction gear box 34connected by the chain 35 to an excavator drive shaft 36 mounted at theinner ends of the cross bars 31 and generally vertically. above theinner ends of the arms 27. The shaft 36 drives sprockets 37 around whichare trained spaced parallel chain loops 3-3 having excavating buckets 39secured transversely therebetween at'spaced intervals along the chainloops. The-chain loops and'theco'nveyor buckets carried there-' by aredirected in a short generally downwardly directed reach below the drivesprockets37 to guidesprockets carried at the inner ends of arms 27 by across shaft d0 mounted on the adjustable bearings 41 to maintain the Theloops are then directed downwardly and outwardly relative to theplatform to guide sprockets 42 and then in vertically downwardlydirected reaches 43 alongside of the slide members 21 to idler sprockets44 that are freely rotatable on the cross shaft 23. Fromthe sprockets 44the chains are directed downwardly around idler sprockets 45 carried onthe shaft 46 at the lower ends of the laterally tiltable extension arms25. Retaining guide sprockets 47 mounted on the opposite ends of crossarms 48 retain the vertical reaches of the chain loops in engagementwith the sprockets 44 as the extension arms are swung laterally from theslide rails 21. Returning upwardly from the extension arms 25 the chainloops are directed in upwardly directed working reaches 49 to sprockets50 on the cross shaft 24 from which they are directed in upwardly andlaterally inwardly inclined reaches 51 to the drive sprockets 37. Itwill thus be seen that the buckets 39 are translated in a horizontalscooping action at the bottom of the extension arms then upwardly andlaterally to over the drive sprockets 37 where the buckets are invertedover the platform and return for further excavating movement.

In order to vertically lower the frame 20 carrying the excavating chainloops and buckets the horizontal frame member 8 carries a sub-frame 52on which is mounted a motor 53 driving through a chain 54 and reductiongear 55 to the winch or drum 56. The drum 56 takes in or pays out thecable 57 trained over the pulley 58 at the top of the guide frame andaround a sheave pulley 59 on the vertically reciprocable excavator frameand back to an anchor 60 on the guide frame.

In order to laterally swing and adjust the extension arms 25 at thelower end of the conveyor frame the shaft 23 on which the arms aremounted is provided with sprocket 61 (see FIGS. 3 and 7). The sprocketand shaft 23 are turned by a chain 62 which extends upwardly alongsideof one of the slide rails 21 to a drive sprocket driven by the motor 63mounted on the top cross member 22 and operating through a suitable gearreduction 64. Reverse actuation of the motor 63 reversely oscillates theshaft 23 and swings the lower end of the excavating conveyor to thedesired position in the bottom of the catch basin or to sweep across anarea in the bottom of the basin.

In order to receive and carry away the sloppy debris ejected by thebuckets 39 in the downwardly directed reach 38 of the chain loops, anoff feeding belt 65 is mounted on an inclined belt conveyor frame 66 andsupported underneath the discharging position of the buckets 39. Ahopper 67 mounted on the lower end of the frame 66 retains splash andassists in effective removal of the debris. The forward upper end of theframe 66 is pivotally supported on a cross shaft 68 by struts 69projecting upwardly from the side frame members 11 of the horizontalframe on the platform. A yoke 70 projects upwardly from the intermediatecross frame member 10 and straddles the belt conveyor frame toadjustably support the belt conveyor by means of a cable 71 anchored tothe yoke at 72 and trained around the sheave pulley 73 on a hanger 74 ofthe conveyor frame to a pulley 75 at the top of the yoke. From thepulley 75 the cable is directed downwardly to a winch 76 on the forwardside of the guide frame. The winch 76 is driven through a suitablereduction gear box 77 by a shaft 78 from the previously described motor53. It will be noted that the single motor 53 controls both theelevation of the excavating conveyor and the elevation of the lowerreceiving end of the off feeding belt conveyor so that once adjusted tothe proper spacing the discharging buckets 39 will continue to depositmaterial at the same angle onto the off feeding belt regardless ofvertical adjustment of the excavating conveyors and slide frame 20.

Drive and control of the excavating conveyor and off feeding belt isprovided by an electric generator 79 and gasoline engine 80 mounted on aplatform 81 between the framemembers 8 and 10. The output from thegenerator 79 is delivered to a control box 82 by the electric cable 83.The control box 82 is mounted on the subframe 52 of the horizontallyslidable frame and provided with controls positioned closely adjacentthe excavating conveyor so that an operator may stand closely alongsidethe manhole 5 and manipulate the controls as necessary.

The electrical connections of the control system are illustrated in FIG.8 which show the generator 79 to be connected through an on-otf switchS4 to the motor 85 mounted on the upper end of the belt conveyor frameto drive the off feeding belt. A second on-ofif switch 36 controls theoperation of the excavating conveyor motor 33. A pair of reverselyactuated switches 87 reversely control the operation of the motor 63 tolaterally swing the lower extension arms 25 on the excavating conveyorand a pair of reversely actuated switches 88 are connected to reverselyactuate the motor 53 for raising and lowering both the excavatingconveyor and the off feeding belt.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a catch basin cleaning machine having a wheeled carriage with avertically extending and vertically adjustable bucket conveyor havingupwardly and downwardly moving sides horizontally adjustably mounted onsaid carriage to project beyond and below said carriage,

the combination of means forming a laterally inwardly and upwardlyinclined reach at the upper end of the upwardly moving side of saidconveyor connected at its laterally inward upper end to a shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach,

supports directing said conveyor in a second inclined downwardly andlaterally outwardly directed reach from the bottom of said shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach to the top of saiddownwardly moving side of said conveyor,

an off-feed belt support frame having a vertically swinging portion andbeing pivotally supported on said carriage and horizontally adjustablewith said bucket conveyor,

said frame having its discharge end positioned adjacent its pivotalsupport at an approximately fixed elevation and in projecting relationbeyond the outline of said carriage,

vertical guide means guiding the swinging portion of said frame with oneside of the frame under said short generally vertically downwardlydirected reach of said bucket conveyor and the other side of the beltprojecting laterally away from the bucket conveyor,

an off-feed belt carried by said frame and driven with its upper reachadvancing to the discharge end of the frame,

a splash retaining hopper carried by said frame and extending acrosssaid belt at the swinging end of the belt,

and means forming an adjustable support for the swinging portion of saidframe connected to drive means for also vertically adjusting said bucketconveyor whereby said belt and said hopper are maintained in fixedvertical relation below said short generally vertically downwardlydirected reach in all positions of said bucket conveyor.

2. In a catch basin cleaning machine having a wheeled carriage with avertically extending and vertically adjustable bucket conveyor havingupwardly and downwardly moving sides horizontally adjustably mounted onsaid carriage to project beyond and below said carriage,

the combination of means forming a laterally inwardly and upwardlyinclined reach at the upper end of the upwardly moving side of saidconveyor connected at its laterally inward upper end to a shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach,

supports directing said conveyor in a second inclined downwardly andlaterally outwardly directed reach from the bottom of said shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach to the top of saiddownwardly moving side of said conveyor,

an off-feed belt support frame having a vertically swinging portion andbeing pivotally supported on said carriage and horizontally adjustablewith said bucket conveyor,

said frame having its discharge end positioned adjacent its pivotalsupport and in projecting relation beyond the outline of said carriage,vertical guide means guiding the swinging portion of said frame with oneside of the frame under said short generally vertically downwardlydirected reach,

an off-feed belt carried by said frame and driven with its upper reachadvancingto the discharge end of the frame,

and means forming an adjustable support for the swing ing portion ofsaid frame connected to drive means for vertically adjusting both saidframe and said bucket conveyor whereby said belt is maintained in fixedvertical relation below said short generally vertically downwardlydirected reach in all positions of said bucket conveyor.

3. In a catch basin cleaning machine having a wheeled carriage with avertically extending and vertically adjustable bucket conveyor havingupwardly and downwardly moving sides mounted on said carriage to projectbelow said carriage,

the combination of means forming a laterally inwardly and upwardlyinclined reach at the upper end of the upwardly moving side of saidconveyor connected at its laterally inward upper end to a shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach,

supports directing said conveyor in a second inclined downwardly andlaterally outwardly directed reach from the bottom of said shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach to the top of saiddownwardly moving side of said conveyor,

an oif-feed belt support frame having a vertically swinging portion andbeing pivotally supported on said carriage,

said frame having its discharge end positioned adjacent its pivotalsupport, vertical guide means guiding the swinging portion of said framewith one side of the frame under said short generally verticallydownwardly directed reach,

an oft-feed belt carried by said frame and driven with its upper reachadvancing to the discharge end of the frame, and means forming anadjustable support for the swinging portion of said frame connected todrive means for also vertically adjusting said bucket conveyor wherebysaid belt is maintained in fixed vertical relation below said shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach in all positions of saidbucket conveyor. 4. In a catch basin cleaning machine having a wheeledcarriage with a vertically extending and vertically adjustable bucketconveyor having upwardly and downwardly moving sides horizontallyadjustably mounted on said carriage to project beyond and below saidcarriage, the combination of means forming a laterally inwardly andupwardly inclined reach at the upper end of the upwardly moving side ofsaid conveyor connected at its laterally inward upper end to a shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach,

supports directing said conveyor in a second inclined downwardly andlaterally outwardly directed reach from the bottom of said shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach to the top of saiddownwardly moving side of said conveyor,

an off-feed belt support frame having a vertically swinging portion andbeing pivotally supported on "said carriage and horizontally adjustablewith said bucket conveyor, said frame having its discharge endpositioned in projecting relation beyond the outline of said carriage,

means vertically guiding the swinging portion of said frame below saidshort generally vertically downwardly directed reach,

an off-feed belt carried by said frame and driven with its upper reachadvancing to the discharge end of the frame,

and means forming an adjustable sup-port for the swinging portion ofsaid frame connected to drive means for also vertically adjusting saidbucket conveyor whereby said belt is maintained in fixed verticalrelation below said short generally vertically downwardly directed reachin all positions of said bucket conveyor.

5. In a catch basin cleaning machine having a wheeled carriage with avertically extending and vertically adjustable bucket conveyor havingupwardly and downwardly moving sides mounted thereon to project belowsaid carriage,

the combination of means forming a laterally inwardly and upwardlyinclined reach at the upper end of the upwardly moving side of saidconveyor connected at its laterally inward upper end to a shortgenerally vertically downwardly directed reach,

supports directing said conveyor in a laterally outwardly directed reachfrom the bottom of said short generally vertically downwardly directedreach to the top of said downwardly moving side of said conveyor,

an off-feed belt support frame having a vertically swinging portion andbeing vertically adjustably supported on said carriage, said framehaving its discharge end positioned in projecting relation beyond theoutline of said carriage,

means vertically guiding the swinging portion of said frame below saidshort generally vertically downward-1y directed reach,

an off-feed belt carried by said frame and driven with its upper reachadvancing to the discharge end of the frame,

and means forming an adjustable support for the swinging portion of saidframe connected to drive means for also vertically adjusting said bucketconveyor whereby said belt is maintained in fixed vertical relationbelow said short generally vertically downwardly directed reach in allpositions of said bucket conveyor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS SAMUEL F,COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS E. WEST, WILLIAM B. LA BORDE, ERNEST A. FALLER, Examiners.

1. IN A CATCH BASIN CLEANING MACHINE HAVING A WHEELED CARRIAGE WITH AVERTICALLY EXTENDING AND VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE BUCKET CONVEYOR HAVINGUPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY MOVING SIDES HORIZONTALLY ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ONSAID CARRIAGE TO PROJECT BEYOND AND BELOW SAID CARRIAGE, THE COMBINATIONOF MEANS FORMING A LATERALLY INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED REACH AT THEUPPER END OF THE UPWARDLY MOVING SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR CONNECTED AT ITSLATERALLY INWARD UPPER END TO A SHORT GENERALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLYDIRECTED REACH, SUPPORTS DIRECTING SAID CONVEYOR IN A SECOND INCLINEDDOWNWARDLY AND LATERALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED REACH FROM THE BOTTOM OFSAID SHORT GENERALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED REACH TO THE TOP OFSAID DOWNWARDLY MOVING SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR, AN OFF-FEED BELT SUPPORTFRAME HAVING A VERTICALLY SWINGING PORTION AND BEING PIVOTALLY SUPPORTEDON SAID CARRIAGE AND HORIZONTALLY ADJUSTABLE WITH SAID BUCKET CONVEYOR,SAID FRAME HAVING ITS DISCHARGE END POSITIONED ADJACENT ITS PIVOTALSUPPORT AT AN APPROXIMATELY FIXED ELEVATION AND IN PROJECTING RELATIONBEYOND THE OUTLINE OF SAID CARRIAGE, VERTICAL GUIDE MEANS GUIDING THESWINGING PORTION OF SAID FRAME WITH ONE SIDE OF THE FRAME UNDER SAIDSHORT GENERALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED REACH OF SAID BUCKETCONVEYOR AND THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BELT PROJECTING LATERALLY AWAY FROMTHE BUCKET CONVEYOR, AN OFF-FEED BELT CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND DRIVENWITH ITS UPPER REACH ADVANCING TO THE DISCHARGE END OF THE FRAME, ASPLASH RETAINING HOPPER CARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAIDBELT AT THE SWINGING END OF THE BELT, AND MEANS FORMING AN ADJUSTABLESUPPORT FOR THE SWINGING PORTION OF SAID FRAME CONNECTED TO DRIVE MEANSFOR ALSO VERTICALLY ADJUSTING SAID BUCKET CONVEYOR WHEREBY SAID BELT ANDSAID HOPPER ARE MAINTAINED IN FIXED VERTICAL RELATION BELOW SAID SHORTGENERALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED REACH IN ALL POSITIONS OF SAIDBUCKET CONVEYOR.